


CJ and Toby Go Into A Bar...

by embolalia



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Vignette
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2003-01-09
Updated: 2003-01-09
Packaged: 2019-05-15 20:42:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 356
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14797628
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/embolalia/pseuds/embolalia
Summary: A vignette





	CJ and Toby Go Into A Bar...

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

 

**CJ and Toby Go Into A Bar...**

**Disclaimer:** You don’t need me to tell you...  
**Category:** CJ/Toby, Vignette  
**Rating:** CHILD  
**Written:** 11/7/02  
**Summary:** "So, what are you drinking for, Miz Cregg?" "The man I love is marrying someone else tomorrow."  
**Spoilers:** Everything after Debate Camp, insofar as Toby is marrying Andi.

She sat, nursing her fourth or fifth grasshopper at the bar. He slid onto the stool beside her and signaled to the barkeeper that he wanted a scotch.

"You talk to the bar tender?"

"No," she whispered.

"Good." God forbid their personal lives go any more public than they already were.  "So, what are you drinking for, Miz Cregg?"

"The man I love is marrying someone else tomorrow."

"Why’s he doing that when he could have you?"

"She’s pregnant with his babies, and he feels it’s his duty. He’s right. You?"

"I’m afraid I’ll hate my children." CJ broke the charade to turn, startled, to look at Toby for the first time.

"What?"

"For them, I’m giving up the person I’ve most ever loved in the world." Her heart clenched. He still hadn’t met her gaze. "So either I’ll love them less and grow to hate them and myself, or...or I’ll love them more, if that’s possible, and feel guilty for betraying her."

There were no words for a while.

"Toby, you’ll stop-" _loving me_ , she would have finished, but he interrupted.

"No."

"Toby."

"Claudia Jean." Even in pique, his lips caressed her name, and made her feel the things she wasn’t supposed to be feeling for him. She made her words come lightly in spite of the feelings.

"What if you love both equally and realize you’d have felt worse any other way and deserve happiness?"

"That feels wrong too- how happy I’d be."

"I want you to be happy." Her truth was shadowed by her grief.

"I’m tearing you- and us!- apart."

"It’s okay."

"It’s not."

"Toby." She spoke his name, the first time, the last time, to hear hers from him for the last time in the way that said he cherished the love between them.

"Claudia Jean."


End file.
